Cross circulation kiln



April 25, 1950 Filed Nov. 20, 1946 L. H. LOVE CROSS CIRCULATION KILN &

,a Sheets-Sheet 1 luz'eiztor Laws on H. Love '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. H. LOVE QROSS CIRCULATION KILN "UUULIUT'.

. ontoooocooo Filed Nov. 20, 1946 April 25, 1950 n d t Inventor Lawson H. Love null April 25, 1950 L. i-l. LOVE CROSS CIRCULATION KILN,

v SSheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 20, 1946 mm mm Om mm 0 O O O G G TTWWW Lawson H. Love By w Patented Apr. 25, 1950 1.

cn s' lc iw r V naivson.gl i.rllove,waskoln, Tea!- assists l loveinber 20, 1946, swam. 711,161

. Thi'sinvention relates to im rovements in con- ,tlnuous flow kilns and particularlythose adapted for, drying lumber. j l An object of, this invention is to provide a kiln jormore efiectivelyand efiicientlyseasoninglumjber or other.substances. J Another object of this ,inventionjisto provide a device of the character described; whicl w'ill v dry material evenly throughout no matter where a the said material is placed inthe work receiv- .ing area thereof. 1 I g I A further object of this invention is to provide kiln with means for reversing the flow of the drying air whendesired. 1'

Another object of this invention is to provide .adevice capable of converting an old" style kiln to a modern cross circulation kilnv with a minimum amount of expense. 7

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device as described requiringlonlya single air impeller. v, f, A still further object of this invention resid es in the particular eflicient arrangementof. air ducts employed inthe device. f

Another object of this invention is the,p fovision of a simplifieddeviceof the character described which obviates the'necessity of utilizing a plurality otairimpellers and obviating extensive and costly air ducts.

Other objects and features of novelty of this invention, will be specifically pointed out orwill become apparent when referring, iorbetter understanding of this invention, to t he following description taken in conjunction with the companying drawings wherein: I Figure l is a side view of theinventionishown partly in elevation and partly in section;

. Figure 2 is alongitudinalsectional view taken preferred embodiment of the instant invention and wherein like reference characters are used to indicate similar parts throughout the views of 1' the device; the-reference numeral I0 is used to designate the invention in general terms.

' a 1 A kiln structure [2 which may be madeof any a usual design or configuration and which may be made of any approved orconventional material is provided having dimensions commensurate with the type of work for which it is to-be emplo'yed.

The interior of the kiln "I2 is provided with the usual ties It supported by conventional posts l6.: Rails 18 adapted to receive trucks or cars -20-are provided on the ties l4. it is here not'ed that a partition in the form of a vertical bank of longitudinally extending heating tubes substantially divide the kiln working area into two chambers. This vertical bank of tubes, indicated in the said kiln.

Referring'now to the improved system of ducts used in conjunction with the instant invention,

reference to Figure 2 is now made. A fan or impeller 28 is shown having an outlet duct 30 secured to the impeller housing by some suitable means such as soldering or the like and a second inlet duct 32 is suitably secured to the impeller substantially on the line 2;,+ 2- of Figured with portions :of the heating tubes'not shown for .clarity;

'-; Figure 3 is a front sectional view-of theinvention with certain portions shown in section and others in elevation; 1

.Figure 4. is a sectional detail-taken;

housing 28. Said duct 33 is curved to suitably and substantially follow the wall contour of one side of the device and a second duct 34 of substantially the same configuration as the above described duct 39, is provided following generally thecontour of the opposite longitudinal wall, which wall is opposite to the one followed by the said duct 30. It is noted that the end portion of duct 34 is joinedto the duct 30 for purposes to be described hereinafter. A final duct 36 extendlng transversely of thekihi and havingjunctions with the above mentioned ducts, '30, 32'. and 34. At spaced intervals along the length o'f-the' ducts 30 and 34 is provided a plurality of apertures receiving upwardly extending cylinders 38 for receiving or discharging air as shall be described hereinafter. It is noted also that the ducts 30 and 34 are tapered reducing in cross section as they approach their respective closed ends 40 and 42. Obviously, the rate of flow characteristic through. each cylinder 38 is rendered constant throughout.

The operation of the flow producing device and its associated air ducts shall now be described in detail. Extending from the impeller 28 is a shaft 44 adapted to be driven by some suitable power unit such as a dynamo, turbine or the like, and secured to the said shaft 44 is a flow producing means shown as an air impeller 4'6 for convenience. As shown the duct 30 is secured to the outlet side of the air impeller housing, the second duct is connected to the duct 30 at junctions '48 wherein a manually operated gate Valve is provided for selectively opening the duct 3 and thereby closing the duct 30 or on the other hand opening the duct 3i! and closing the duct. 3Q.

Adjacent the said junction 38 is a second junction 52 formed by the connection of duct 36. to, duct 3?]. The opposite end of said duct 36 is suitably'joined to duct'3 as shown clearlyin Figure At substantially longitudinal central point of the said duct 35 is a junction 54 made by the connection of the herein before mentioned duct 32 and provided at this junction is a gate valve 56. adapted to close either half of the said duct 35, and thereby opening the other half thereof.

By proper manipulation of the valves 50 and 55 the flow of air through the said ducts can be reversed. When, the said valves are in the positions as shown in Figure 2 it will be noted that air discharges through asmall portion of the duct 30 and strikes the valve 5% which diverts it through the duct 34 whereby it is discharged through the cylinders 38 and into the kiln;

Further, with the valves in the positions as shown, the intake side of the impeller sucks air through the open half of the duct 36 which receives the same through the cylinder. 38 and the greater portion of the duct 38. When the valves are moved to their alternate positions, it is quite evident now that the duct 34 will draw in air and the duct 3123 will discharge the same thereby reversing the air flow in the kiln.

Following now the fioW pattern shown in Figure 3 it will be seen that air discharging from the -impeller 28 through the cylinders 38 rises, al-

ready being heated to a certain degree by proxillustrated but a preferred embodiment of the said invention, it will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, including additions and omissions, may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described the instant invention, what is claimed as novel and improved is as follows:

1. A continuous flow kiln for drying lumber comprising a housing having walls and a ceiling, heating means in said housing, an air impeller having a casing in said housing, an air inlet and an air outlet in said casing, a first apertured duct secured to the casing and communicated with the outlet, a second apertured duct having a junction with the first duct, a valve in said junction :i-Qliselectively closing said first and second arpertured ducts from communication with said outlet, a transverse duct interconnecting said apertured ducts, and an air conduit secured in said casing inlet and secured to said transverseduct.

2., A continuous flow kiln for drying lumber comprising a housing having walls and a ceiling, heating means in said housing, an air impeller having a casing in said housing, an air inlet. and an air outlet in said casing, a first apertured duct junction for selectively closing said first and secondapertured ducts from communication with said outlet, a transverse duct interconnecting said apertured ducts, a conduit secured in said casing inlet and secured to said transverse duct intermediate its ends, and means in said transverse duct at its junction with said conduit for selectively directing air flow to said inlet from said first and said second apertured ducts.

3. The combination of claim 2 and spaced bailies swingingly suspended from said housing ceiling, a platform in the housing above said first and second apertured ducts, heating tubes below said platform, heating tubes forming a vertical partition rising from said platform, and one bafile disposed on each side of said vertical partition.

irnity to the conventionally disposed heating tubes 58, to a position adjacent the specially provided swinging valve or bafile 59 thence whirls around and through the material. to be dried. As is evident from the drawings the air flows through a first compartment, regains some of its lost heat by circulating around the specially provided and -:;fu'lly' set forth in detail. Howeverbwhilethere. is ...;:425,844

AWSON H. LOVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA IE NTS Yum ber Name Da herein before discussed banks of tubes 22 thence 11,546,180 Osborn July i through the material to be dried in the second 1,745,375 Mueller 1-930 compartment traveling then to a low pressure 1,762,379 Mueller June 10 1930 area created by. the section communicated by the 1,815,798 Rankin July 1931 cylinders 38 in the duct 34. It will be noted that 60 1,343,811 w g Man 1932 the baffle 26 herein before mentioned guides the 1,919,646 Woolhouse July 1933 lower portion of the air through the transverse 2306318 Goodall June 1935 bank of tubes 22. The slot valves 60 or bafiles are 2 031 093 st r May 13 93 as dis l s d in rd r hat th y m b e y 53,42 st Sept, 9, 1 gpe b whe the drymg w 18 flowing In either 2,380,518 Gottschalket a1. July 31, 1945 use ion.

The operation and structure of the single em- FOREIGN PATENTS .bodiment of the inventive concept ishereinabove Number Country Date Germany Feb. 26, 1926 

